Many of us know the importance of sunlight but may not realize how many benefits there actually are! With the temperature getting into the 90’s this week, it seems fitting to acknowledge the power of the SUN.
While standing in the sunlight within the first hour of waking up, research has shown that melatonin levels decrease and cortisol levels increase. Both of these hormones help regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin, the hormone that gets released due to the brain's response to darkness, is usually the lowest in the morning and slowly rises as the day goes on (peaking in the middle of the night). Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands and affects almost all organs in your body. Honestly, cortisol deserves its own blog post so I won’t go into too much detail but it is a very important regulating hormone! When our eyes see the sunlight, it triggers the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus to release cortisol, helping us to wake up and stay awake in the first stage of the sleeping cycle. Getting some sunlight in the morning helps wake us up and get us mentally ready for the day!
Fun fact: While taking a melatonin supplement, research shows that there is a bigger shift in the circadian rhythm with a lower dose of melatonin (.3-.5mg) than a larger dose. That means that melatonin is more effective in lower doses!
Another important benefit of sunlight in the early mornings is an increase in serotonin, our “feel good” hormone. A spike in these hormonal levels help boost our mood in the morning and gives us more mental clarity. With an improvement in mood, depression symptoms are less likely due to the increase in serotonin.
Interestingly enough, serotonin is needed to produce melatonin. If we have low levels of serotonin, our sleep quality/pattern becomes disrupted.
Sunlight helps our bodies produce more Vitamin D through a photosynthetic reaction simulated by UVB rays. The amount of Vitamin D production depends on some factors like: amount of pigmentation (melanin) in the skin, clothes, excess body fat, or sunscreen. Vitamin D also helps maintain the calcium levels in our body; to help with brittle bone prevention.
Fun fact: Many sunscreens have hormone disruptors or contain toxic ingredients. My favorite sunscreen comes from Crunchi because the zinc oxide (a much more stable sunscreen ingredient) is non-nano which means it doesn’t get absorbed through the pores in our skin!
Dr. Kaitlyn
Citations
Breslow ER, Phillips AJK, Huang JM, St. Hilaire MA, Klerman EB. A Mathematical Model of the Circadian Phase-Shifting Effects of Exogenous Melatonin. Journal of Biological Rhythms. 2013;28(1):79-89. doi:10.1177/0748730412468081
Laurence, Emily. Here’s What Happens If You Take Melatonin Every Night, 26 July 2023, parade.com/health/what-happens-if-you-take-melatonin-every-night-according-to-a-behavioral-sleep-medicine-expert.
Mead MN. Benefits of sunlight: a bright spot for human health. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Apr;116(4):A160-7. doi: 10.1289/ehp.116-a160. Erratum in: Environ Health Perspect. 2008 May;116(5):A197. PMID: 18414615; PMCID: PMC2290997.
תגובות